| The job of a fire marshal in the United | | | | know him." |
| States is often like the job of a | | | | A government official, a mysterious |
| private investigator: thankless and | | | | fire, a political radical, a |
| fascinating. But a private | | | | confrontation. In most situations, this |
| investigator's role is usually punitive: | | | | would be a clear opportunity for power |
| figure out who's scamming the insurance | | | | and authority to assume their roles, for |
| company, say, or where the ex-convict | | | | the government official to make clear, |
| who broke parole ran to. A good fire | | | | punitive statements. But that's not |
| marshal, on the other hand, never | | | | what Maldonado--a fire marshal, after |
| forgets one critical rule: fire safety | | | | all, did. |
| comes first, no matter what. | | | | "To the person or persons responsible |
| Paul Maldonado, fire marshal for the | | | | for this crime I would like to relay a |
| State of Texas, was called in to | | | | message," said Maldonado in the same |
| investigate the recent fire at the | | | | conference. "We are concerned with your |
| Austin mansion of Governor Rick Perry. | | | | safety." |
| In retrospect, it must have seemed | | | | He went on to explain: the video footage |
| inevitable that the building would be | | | | showed a man with some experience |
| targeted for arson. Perry, former | | | | throwing incendiary devices. Fire is a |
| lieutenant Governor under President | | | | terrible thing to experiment with, |
| Bush, inherited much of the ill will | | | | warned Maldonado. The arsonist chose a |
| that the student population in Austin | | | | dangerous means of sending a message to |
| held for the Texas Republicans, and his | | | | the governor--dangerous not only to the |
| reign as Governor was marked by | | | | mansion, but to the arsonist. And more: |
| occasional scandal and a rising | | | | Maldonado said that he appreciated, |
| discontent among the electorate. The | | | | above all, the willingness of the |
| 2007 announcement that the Governor's | | | | arsonist to wait until the Governor was |
| mansion would be remodeled to the tune | | | | away, until the mansion was deserted, to |
| of $10 million--including a | | | | set his fire. |
| state-of-the-art fire suppression | | | | "We will not forget that," the fire |
| system--must have been, in retrospect, | | | | marshal said. |
| the last straw. On the night of June 8, | | | | The investigation goes on, of course. |
| 2008, that straw burst into flames. | | | | But what it reveals about the |
| Maldonado and his video surveillance | | | | investigator is almost more fascinating |
| team knew who the suspect was--roughly, | | | | than the eventual identity of the |
| of course. He fit the established | | | | culprit. It's rare to find a public |
| profile: young, twenty-something, | | | | official who truly concerns himself with |
| athletic. Angry, even. In a press | | | | what's really important in criminal |
| conference, Maldonado proposed that this | | | | matters: the threat to public safety, |
| anger was the cause of the arson. He | | | | and the value of human life. It takes a |
| might be angry "at the death penalty-- | | | | fire marshal, in the end, to say that he |
| and other political issues," Maldonado | | | | appreciates his quarry for valuing human |
| said. "His feelings of anger and | | | | life. |
| frustration will be noted by people who | | | | |